The Lagos State Government has cautioned Property Owners to utilize buildings strictly for their designated purposes either for commercial and residential use.
Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory Agency’s General Manager, Olayinka Abdul, stressed that using buildings for their intended purposes ensures structural stability and prevents excessive load stress.
She emphasized the need for thorough structural evaluations, citing widespread substandard material production that comprises the longevity, safety and durability of buildings.
While speaking during a collaborative meeting with executives of the Nigerian Institution of Geotechnical Engineers on Tuesday, Abdul, who led a seven-man delegation of the agency, noted that the interdisciplinary collaboration among built professionals to safeguard Lagos from Structural failures.
“Every collapse is evidence of a defaulting foundation that shows badly coordinated parameters being interpreted and implemented wrongly from mismatched exponential transformations”.
“That is why the state government has prepared levels of checks to make all specifications align, using LSMTL to analyse samples on proponent structures to conform with what the designer (architect) has done for re-evaluation and realignment,” she added.
Highlighting key causes of structural failures, the General Manager blamed professional negligence for prioritizing status over human safety across all socioeconomic levels.
She ascertained that individual contributions pave the way for global safety and successful structures, stressing that professional expertise is crucial in preventing building collapses.
“Quite noteworthy, however, this team of professionals often compromise their integrity to the detriment of people’s lives for money. Technically, they do not exhibit what they preach.” she added.
Chairman, Lagos State Nigerian Institution of Geotechnical Engineers chapter,Ebenezer Ologuntoye, in his key note Address, advocated for collaborative partnerships enhancing professional structural oversight through advanced workshops, training programs and technical expertise.
He said, “There should be Geotechnically-Generated Reports from construction sites to ensure quality assurance to existing and newer structures. This will enhance coordinated positions of the land mass in identifying defective foundations that aggravate building collapse”.
“This collaboration will include running forensic research on collapsed buildings in averting other future disasters, as most structures are in variance to each land mass, especially considering Lagos Gorge.”he stressed.
In September,Abdul strongly condemned building contractors’ use of substandard materials, emphasizing the severe threats they pose to human life, property and financial investments.
She also urged Engineers to collaborate , sharing expertise to prevent building disaster across Lagos State.
Eniola Jolaoso.